Parallel clamp



Nov. 10, 1925'. L. w. SCHLEICHER PARALLEL CLAMP Filnd Jan. 29. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Zea. (51772667701 7 BY ATTORNEY.

L- W. SCHLE ICHER PARALLEL CLAMP Filnd Jan. 29. 1925, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Leo W. 5c7alez' ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

LEO- W. SCI-ILEICI-IER, OF DETROIT, .MICHIGAN'.

JBARALLEL CLAMP,

Application filed January 29,1925. Serial No. 5,615.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO W. Sonnnrennn, a citizen of Germany,@'resi.ding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented 'new. and useful Improvements iii-Parallel Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in parallel clamps.

"It is anobject of the invention t-o-provi'de parallel clamps with 'which work :having parallel;tapered,"v or irregular sides can be securely held.

Another object of theinvention isytoeprovide parallel: clamps" haringr their: adjusting screws iso'rarra-n-ged that they can 1 be tightenedyand the: clamping b'ars firmly heldywhen theaasaidscrews are' at'v-arying angles to the said clamping bars.

. A; further object or the inventionisto provide parallel clamps having: their adjusting screws so made that there: ispract'icallyno opportunity torwtheir threads to be damaged by contact with the .slots in the upper clampingrbar through which they' pass.

' With these andot heriobjectsin view,-- the invention :GOIlSlSlZS'ilIl' certain :nov'iel'construd tion, and combination of partshereinafter more "fully described with the aid of @the accompanyingdrawings andclaimed.

--Inrthe drawings: v

I Figure 1. illustrates aside elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectioiron theline*A-'A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is asectiomon the line B-B of Figure 1, and

*Figure lshows a section on the line CG of Figure 1.

' Figure 5-is adet'a'il.

Fig'ure 6 shows amodifiedtorm of construction, and

:Figure 7? is; a section-onthe line-D'D=ot Figure 6.

'-Rete1ri11g:more particularlyto Figures 1, 2 3, 4:53.116. 5 of thedrawings, and 2 designate upper and lower clamping bars, the latter of which is provided on its upper side with a narrow slot 5 through which the adjusting screwlpasses. The slot 5 opens downwardly into: a wider slot 6, the upper wall of which latteris curved and the upper-surface otthe block 7 is similarly curved andbears against portion of the said upper wall.

. The lower end 9=of the ad usting screw 4 terminates in a threaded portion 01"- reduced diameter ontowhich the nut 8 is screwed. The upper side 01 the block 7 is counterbored as shown inFigure 1 so that the screw 4 passes :part way therethrough and the threaded end 9" of reduced diameter through the remaining awasher.

Figure 5 is an inverted planet the nut 8, in which 11 indicates an internal hexagon which is supplied in order that tightening andlocsening of the nutm'ay be facilitated. l-he method of mounting thel'ower end of the. adjusting screw 3within the clamping bar 2 issimilar to that employed for mountingthe lower end of the adjusting screw. 4:. lhe-adjustingscrew 3 projects upwardly through the narrow slot 12 and the wider sl0t'13 in the ClEU'HPlIIgEbZlF 1. The block 14 mounted on the screw 3has awcurved lower suri ace which bears against the radiused un derside of :the wider slot 13, and the block is held in placeby means of the nut 15. "16 indicates a Washer.

The; adjusting screw 4; extends npwardly through the wider slot 1'3 and the narrower slot 18 maths-clamping bar 1. The upper surface of the-wider slot 17 is. curved and portion thereof, 10 indicates against: portion of it rests-the similarly curved upper surface of the block 119. The latter-is supported by means of the channel shaped members 20, which are provided at their upper and lower ends with inwardly inclinedportions21fiand 22 of greater width than: their connecting vertical portions.

Thenut 25 as well as being in threaded engagement with -.the' adjusting screw & also has anexternally threaded portion 29 which cngagestheinternal ithread 28 on the upstanding annular flange. 40'integral with the under portion 24 of thenut.

,The' upperiinwardly inclined :portions 21 of the channel shaped members 20 are held between the underside; of the nut 25 andthe top of the under portion 24. There is also a downward annular projection 27 on the underside of the nut 25 which engages a corresponding; groove 26 on the-upper face of each of the portions 21,--and thereby prevents thelatter-trom slipping out.

In order to allow the nut 25 to turn at varying angles to the upper surface otthe clamping bar 1, the upper surface of the washerr23-is made convex and supports the correspondingly concaved underside of the lower nutiportion 24.

The adjusting screws 3 and 1 are provided with flats on both sides so as to minimize the possibility of the threads being damaged. At one and the same end of the clamping bars 1 and 2 revolvable jaws 31 are provided. These latter, which may have any desired shape of gripping surfaces have circular shanks 32 which fit into holes 33, and are held therein by grub screws 34 which engage annular grooves 35 in the said shanks. .Vhen desired the jaws 81 may be removed and the inner surfaces of the clamping bars used as gripping surfaces.

The adjusting screws 3 and 4: can be easlly removed and others of a diiferent length quickly inserted.

The curvature of the upper surface of the wider slot 6 allows the block 7, and with it the adjusting screw 4, or 3, to be inclined at varying angles to the clamping bar 2. And similarly the curvature of the block 14: and the lower surface of the slot 13 allow the adjusting screw 8 to be tightened when the clamping bar 1 is inclined at varying angles thereto.

An upward pull is exerted on the clamping bar 1 when the nut 25 is screwed upwards on the adjusting screw 4:, as the channel shaped members 20 move up and down with the said nut, and therefore the lower inwardly projecting portions 22 raise the block 19, which in turn forces the curved upper surface of the wider slot 17 upwards.

In Figures 6 and 7 a simplified form of construction is shown wherein the adjusting screws 3 and 4 are mounted in the lower clamping bar 2 by means of pins 36 and 37, and the clamping bar is so slotted, as indicated at 38 and 39, as to permit of the adjusting screws moving pivotally about the said pins.

The upper clamping bar 1 has a wide slot 13 with a radiused underside on which the similarly curved lower surface of the block 1 1 rests; below the slot 13 and extending therefrom to the underside of the clamping bar is a narrower slot 12 The adjusting screw 3 passes through the block 14 and is tightened by means of the nut 15 The section shown in Figure 7 also illustrates the general arrangement of the block 14 in the clamping bar 1.

The nut 25 on the adjusting screw 4* holds the curved upper surface of the block 19 against the similarly curved upper surface of the wide slot 17. The narrow slot 18 connects the upper end of the slot 17 with the upper side of the clamping bar 1. The jaws 31 are integral with their respective clamping bars.

In this latter construction though it is still possible to incline either or both the "clamping bars at varying angles to the adjusting screws, the latter cannot be readily changed, and moreover the location of the nut 25" between the clamping bars is not so accessible for certain classes of work as when both nuts, 15 and 25, are above the top clamping bar.

In Figure 1 it will be noted that a right hand thread is provided on one adjusting screw and a left hand thread on the other; this is usually done in order that when tightening or loosening the work both nuts, 15 and 25, will have to be turned in the same direction.

The slots in the upper clamping bar also permit of one of the jaws being placed longitudinally in advance of the opposing jaw, whether the bars are parallel or inclined at an angle to one another. This is frequently an advantage in holding work wherein only a short gripping surface is afforded on one side. Moreover though the gripping bars as herein shown have a uniform cross section throughout their length, the bars may be made thicker where the slots'occur or of any other desired shape.

From the foregoing description it is thought that a clear conception of the invention may be obtained; and it is understood that I may make alterations and modifications in the construction provided the said alterations and modifications fall within the scope of what I claim.

IVhat I claim is:

1. Parallel clamps comprising an upper and a lower clamping bar, slots through said upper clamping bar having wider and narrower portions, a curved surface at the end of each wider slotted portion contiguous to its narrower slotted portion, blocks having a curved side corresponding to the curved surface of said wider slotted portions and adapted to bear thereon, adjusting screws passing through said blocks and mounted in the lower clamping bar, and a nut on each of said adjusting screws.

2. Parallel clamps comprising an upper and a lower clamping bar, vertical slots through the upper clamping bar, portion of said slots being wider and portion of said slots being narrower transverse v of the clamping bar, longitudinally curved surfaces at the ends of said wider slots contiguous to said narrower slots, blocks having a curved surface corresponding to the curved surfaces of said slots, adjusting screws which pass through said blocks and are pivotally mounted in the lower clamping bar, and a nut on each of said adjusting screws adapted to exert a pressure on said blocks in opposite directions.

8. Parallel clamps as described in claim 1,- wherein the wider portion of one of said slots is contiguous to the top of the upper clamping bar, and the wider portion of the "other slot is contiguous to its underside.

4. Parallel clamps as described in claim 1 wherein one of the blocks bears upwardly against the curved surface of its slot and is supported by means of depending members which are adapted to be raised and lowered by the nut in threaded engagement with the adjusting screw which passes through the upwardly bearing block.

5. Parallel clamps comprising an upper and a lower clamping bar, adjusting screws mounted in the lower clamping bar and projecting upwardly through slots in the upper clamping bar, threaded means cooperating with one of said adjusting screws for exerting downward pressure on the upper clamping bar, a block having a curved upper surface, a slot through said upper clamping bar having a wider lower portion, a curved surface at the end of the wider slotted portion contiguous to the narrower slotted portion corresponding to the upper curved surface of said block, and depending members adapted to be raised and lowered by a nut in threaded engagement with one of the adjusting screws, said depending members supporting said block.

6. Parallel clamps comprising upper and lower clamping bars, adjusting screws passing through the upper clamping bar, and nuts on said adjusting screws, slots through the lower clamping bar which are wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, curved surfaces at the ends of the wider slotted portions contiguousto the narrower slotted portions, blocks having one curved side within each of said wider slotted portions, and the lower end of one of the adjusting screws passing through each of said blocks and secured on the underside thereof.

LEO W. SOHLEICHER 

